Music???

November 2009

Okay, back in November, maybe even before, I knew that I wanted to take the kids caroling for Christmas. Back then I had big dreams...maybe getting a few of the neighbor kids in on it and going to an elderly care center or some such.

But singing with children is an interesting thing. Well singing with, and getting them to sing, isn't really that big a deal...but getting them to be able to stay on their note while someone else sings harmony is a tough thing to teach...especially if there are only 2 of you singing. When it was just Beanie and I singing, it was impossible. But over the years, my parents would come...or S.P. and Camera King...or Dr. Bo's family (6 GIRLS, 2 BOYS...there is lots of singing potential there) and we'd have the opportunity to have more than one person sing melody while those of us that could would do some harmony or other.

This year was kind of fun because Beanie and I had a bunch of practice with the little worship team we did at church and Bear was old enough to want to sing, too. So Bean and Bear would concentrate on singing together while I harmonized in the background. And, of course, if her sisters were doing it, there was no keeping Monkey Face out of it.

I thought I'd show you a "rehearsal" of The First Noel that we were working on...it should be noted that *I* was flat on the high note...something has gone wrong with my soprano over the last few years...eventually I'll warm up enough to hit the high notes, but it takes awhile...but they were so cute with the blame placing...



This next one is the one "in which the children REVOLT". This is the second or third time that we'd pitched it BADLY...in this case too low...and they had just had it with REAL singing. I'm so glad I had the camera on...SUCH fun.



By the time Christmas rolled around...we'd had some illnesses and it was COLD and so all my big plans boiled down to a single night of caroling on Christmas day with some of the girls around the neighborhood...there were 9 of us traipsing around in the sub-freezing weather, singin our little hearts out. It really was a lot of fun. Wish I'd gotten pictures, but at least I have the memory.

See ya around...